by Diana
If there is a non plus ultra to stepping out of one’s comfort zone then (for me) emigrating gets the golden prize. My parents are both quite careful and over-thoughtful about making decisions, particularly when it comes to uncertain outcomes. As a child I valued the safety and stability they provided us with and expectedly, as a teenager, I resented it. I sought challenges and found in art the best unpredictable journey, until I decided to restart my life in a new country, away from home, and from the new land, I unconsciously sought to reach stability and safety one more time. I learnt to value the commodity of knowing but as a therapist I had to learn how to appreciate the beauty of not knowing all over again. I now try not to label myself as I can certainly relate to both aspects which makes me feel somehow balanced.
My beloved friend Carla sits comfortably on the stable side of my life in London. She is the personification of reliability and, like me, she both embraces and resents routine. We joked as she would always demand the same cake for dessert when invited over to ours for a meal, no matter the occasion. I admire her determination and her proud approach to security and stability. You need a friend like that when everything else continues to feel like an adventure. You need a friend like that in life, full stop. When Carla was offered the opportunity to challenge herself and re-emigrate to Italy to be part of an amazing project then our safety poles conglomerated to make an uncertain choice. A month or so after her departure I wanted to say ‘arrivederci’ with the recipe of the white chocolate and raspberry cake she so long adores, hoping that in the middle of the uneasiness, she’ll hold on to the stability of our friendship, found in the well-known flavours that the cake will always bring her for breakfast.
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| © The Teaspoon |
Ingredients
250 g all-purpose flour
150 g granulated sugar or caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
100 ml sunflower or vegetable oil
200 ml buttermilk (1 tablespoon white vinegar + 200 ml milk)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100 g chopped white chocolate
200 g raspberries, gently tossed in 1 tablespoon flour to avoid sinking in the batter. Reserve about 10 units for the top of the cake.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
Line a cake tin with parchment paper and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, use an electric mixer to whisk all the wet ingredients: buttermilk, oil, eggs, and the vanilla extract.
Carefully add the dry mixture to the combined wet ingredients and stir using the electric mixer for about 1 minute. With the help of a spatula or a wooden spoon, incorporate the chopped white chocolate and the raspberries until integrated into the batter.
Pour the batter into the lined baking tin and top with an arrangement of raspberries of your choice.
Bake for approximately one hour or until a knife inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool down completely before removing from the baking tray. Cut, serve and enjoy!
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
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